NFL general managers grilled Colorado CB Jimmy Smith — a first-round talent with a history of off-field problems —at the NFL Scouting Combine about his two arrests for possession of alcohol as a minor and a positive drug test in 2007, according to The Denver Post.

"I knew they were going to ask me about everything I've done," Smith told reporters. "I'm ready and prepared to answer all the questions. I felt prepared to deal with it. I knew it was coming.

"I went to college and I made some mistakes. But all of them were freshman and sophomore year — actually my redshirt freshman year, so two freshman years."

The Lions, for one team, have taken Smith off their draft board because of character concerns, according to Booth Newspapers.

ALLEN PARK - Let's start this out by making something perfectly clear: I have no idea who the Detroit Lions are going to select with the 13th overall pick in the April draft. It could be a linebacker, cornerback, offensive tackle or defensive lineman. They might trade up or they might trade down.

While the possibilities are seemingly endless, I firmly believe there is one thing the Lions will not do: Draft Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith. Not with the 13th pick and not even if they trade back 10 or 12 spots.

In terms of talent alone, Smith would be a top 15 pick and in the crosshairs of the Lions' radar. Smith is big, fast and has excellent skills. However, he also has issues.

Down in Indianapolis at the scouting combine, I asked more than a dozen NFL sources and personnel people about the character issues surrounding Smith. I knew Smith had a couple of arrests and a few failed drug tests, but what I didn't know is if those were immature mistakes from a now-solid young man or whether those incidents were the tip of the iceberg.

While Smith and his representatives are doing everything possible to put a positive spin on his college career, almost none of the people I talked to are buying it. For all of you skeptics out there, this is not a situation where teams are bad-mouthing a guy to get him to drop down the draft board to their spot.

The most interesting part of my discussions with sources wasn't about the arrests or the drug tests. That's bad enough, but what's really irked the scouts and personnel people is Smith's reaction to it. From the very beginning, he has tried to act like he didn't need to deal with the character issues. The first red flag was Smith's decision to not participate in the Senior Bowl.

Smith apparently felt that because Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara wasn't going to go to the Senior Bowl, he didn't need to go either. The problem with that is that Amukamara is solid gold in terms of character and he's also expected to be a top 15 pick. Elite players have some wiggle room in terms of participating in all-star bowl games and while Smith apparently believed he belonged in that class, no one else did.

I kept hearing the same refrain - when there are questions about a kid's character, he has to be aggressive in getting out in front of it, addressing it and, most important of all, showing his character. It's one thing to talk about what a great person you are and it's another thing to actually display it. A week-long audition at the Senior Bowl in front of NFL coaches and scouts would've gone a long way to calming some fears. Instead, it just heightened them.

The biggest issue about Smith is his football character - and here's where I think the Lions have their greatest concerns. The Lions want players who have passion for the game and a laser-like focus on football, work ethic and teammate accountability.

The Lions aren't looking to collect a bunch of Cub Scouts; they have a tolerance level for players who have had some struggles and made some bad decisions early in their career. However, they don't have tolerance for players who aren't showing enough movement away from the attitude that led them down that road to legal problems and failed drug tests.

Again, to be clear, I did not talk to anybody in the Lions' organization about whether they would draft Smith or not. However, we've all heard enough comments from general manager Martin Mayhew to know how much he values football character. This is not a quantum leap in deduction. Unless something drastic changes in the next two months - and I don't see that happening - Smith isn't an option for Detroit.

Smith might eventually clean up his act and go on to a successful NFL career, but the Lions are not in a position to take that kind of gamble. They can't risk missing on a first-round pick and they definitely don't want to poison their blossoming locker room atmosphere.

The Lions have a lot of options in the first round of this draft but I'm convinced that Jimmy Smith isn't one of them.

Well slap me on the rectum and call me Betty. That little didy by Killer damn near made me shut my mouth and say sorry.

Now my only question is, Killer keeps saying "Failed drug TESTS". NOT yelling just emphizising. I have only heard of one failed drug tests. Are there more on record? If so then why has it not been made public or more public. Not defending, just asking.

If it was the 2 infractions that are very public, then I might have a hard time condeming the kid for life for something he did when he first got to college.

Of course I didn't have the chance to talk to him or the people that were much closer to the info.

I know that I would hate to be judge for what I did in the state of Michigan when the drinking age was 18>

And I'm ready to admit when I am wrong, but just this first time.

Too bad for Smith if he came across as unrepentive. Another young man that had the world by the balls and forgot to hang on!

March 9th, 2011, 10:08 pm

njroar

QB Coach - Brian Callahan

Joined: September 25th, 2007, 3:20 amPosts: 3229

Re: Is Smith off our radar?

His performance at the combine screams safety. It's too risky to take a corner you want in coverage to have come out of his breaks too slow. Its the exact same reason Spievey got moved to safety. Its the same reason the CB from texas, who's name just blanked out of my head, is expected to go in the 2nd.

March 10th, 2011, 3:42 am

Killwill25

Rookie Player of the Year

Joined: March 5th, 2009, 8:42 pmPosts: 2422Location: Brooklyn, NY

Re: Is Smith off our radar?

jomo269 wrote:

How the hell would Booth newspapers know what our front office is doing? I would bet that they don't know what they are talking about. Just trying to sell some more papers.

That's what I'm thinking

_________________Just one Super Bowl win before I go!

March 10th, 2011, 6:29 am

m2karateman

RIP Killer

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10408Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Is Smith off our radar?

njroar wrote:

His performance at the combine screams safety. It's too risky to take a corner you want in coverage to have come out of his breaks too slow. Its the exact same reason Spievey got moved to safety. Its the same reason the CB from texas, who's name just blanked out of my head, is expected to go in the 2nd.

Two things stand out as to why the Lions wouldn't draft him in round one. njroar picked one up as shown above. He was very stiff in change of direction drills, and even the announcers were saying he was more likely to play safety, ala Aaron Williams. Second, his mouth. Coming out and saying that you are better than the best CB in the NFL, and that you are better than him right now, is not just a statement of confidence. It makes him a delusional azzhole. I don't mind a guy with some brashness, but a guy who makes a stupid statement like that and doesn't impress at the Combines, has some other issues to deal with. Second round? I'd take him there and hope he can overcome his hip turning issue. If not, he'd be in competition with Spievey for the other safety spot.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

March 10th, 2011, 7:46 am

TheRealWags

Megatron

Joined: December 31st, 2004, 9:55 amPosts: 12509

Re: Is Smith off our radar?

Killwill25 wrote:

jomo269 wrote:

How the hell would Booth newspapers know what our front office is doing? I would bet that they don't know what they are talking about. Just trying to sell some more papers.

That's what I'm thinking

I believe MLive.com is part of Booth newspapers.

Wikipedia wrote:

MLive.com is the website home for all Booth Newspapers, as well as the weekly Advance Newspapers. The site includes reports from their Lansing bureau.

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10408Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Is Smith off our radar?

TheRealWags wrote:

Killwill25 wrote:

How the hell would Booth newspapers know what our front office is doing? I would bet that they don't know what they are talking about. Just trying to sell some more papers.

I believe MLive.com is part of Booth newspapers.

Which means absolutely nothing in regards to them knowing what the FO in Allen Park has planned in regards to their draft board. Half the time Kowalski is so off base I'm thinking he still goes to Pontiac for Lions news rather than Allen Park.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.

March 10th, 2011, 11:48 am

TheRealWags

Megatron

Joined: December 31st, 2004, 9:55 amPosts: 12509

Re: Is Smith off our radar?

Killwill25 wrote:

Quote:

NFL general managers grilled Colorado CB Jimmy Smith — a first-round talent with a history of off-field problems —at the NFL Scouting Combine about his two arrests for possession of alcohol as a minor and a positive drug test in 2007, according to The Denver Post.

"I knew they were going to ask me about everything I've done," Smith told reporters. "I'm ready and prepared to answer all the questions. I felt prepared to deal with it. I knew it was coming.

"I went to college and I made some mistakes. But all of them were freshman and sophomore year — actually my redshirt freshman year, so two freshman years."

The Lions, for one team, have taken Smith off their draft board because of character concerns, according to Booth Newspapers.

I don't know how credible this is but how would they know what our FO's plans are

m2karateman wrote:

TheRealWags wrote:

Killwill25 wrote:

How the hell would Booth newspapers know what our front office is doing? I would bet that they don't know what they are talking about. Just trying to sell some more papers.

I believe MLive.com is part of Booth newspapers.

Which means absolutely nothing in regards to them knowing what the FO in Allen Park has planned in regards to their draft board. Half the time Kowalski is so off base I'm thinking he still goes to Pontiac for Lions news rather than Allen Park.

Agreed, they're just passing along/referring to the info from Killer's article. No where does it say they actually know what's going on in our FO.

_________________

Quote:

Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right....

March 10th, 2011, 12:47 pm

Pablo

RIP Killer

Joined: August 6th, 2004, 9:21 amPosts: 9967Location: Dallas

Re: Is Smith off our radar?

speaking of Booth newspapers and killer, this is nearly a retraction...

Killer wrote:

Jimmy Smith has much to prove in interview with Detroit Lions

]ALLEN PARK - Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith is reportedly visiting the Detroit Lions today as one of the 30 pre-draft interviews that are allowed in a team's facility. By most accounts Smith is a top 15 draft prospect in terms of talent alone, but he's also loaded with some baggage, including arrests (for minor violations) and failed drug tests.

The Lions have the 13th overall pick in the draft and it's my contention that the Lions will pass on Smith because of his issues - which also include questions about his football character and willingness to put football first on his priority list.

When I wrote my opinion about Smith, I made it clear that I had not spoken to Lions general manager Martin Mayhew about the player. I know the things that Mayhew values in players and it's my belief that Mayhew won't want to take the risk.

The Lions, though, have not advanced to the stage where they're going to take my word for it. Someday, perhaps, but not today.

Being the well-prepared and thorough executive that he is, Mayhew is going to bring Smith in and dig into his personality a little and put him through what I call the "Deion Sanders test.'' The Lions are going to get all the information possible before making that critical choice at No. 13.

What Smith has to say - and how he says it - will go a long way to determining whether he's really in the mix to become a Detroit Lion.

Have heard a couple of positive opinions recently in regards to Smith. Considered by some to have the highest ceiling of all the top corners, and actually that's what we are drafting for. What they will be 2-3 years from now. As for mistakes kids make, I don't knock a player for getting caught with a beer or failing a drug test because he smoked pot. Small potatoes. Read the following article from the freep today and thought I'd post it.

BY DAVE BIRKETTDETROIT FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Coach vouches for draft-eligible cornerback Jimmy Smith

In 13 NFL seasons, Ashley Ambrose saw plenty of players crash and burn for a variety of reasons. Ambrose, a former defensive backs coach at Colorado, doesn't think ex-Buffalo Jimmy Smith will be one of them.

Smith, considered the No. 3 cornerback in the draft, visited the Lions' Allen Park facility last week to answer questions about the character issues that have dragged down his stock.

Smith admitted to failing a drug test and receiving alcohol-related violations at Colorado, but chalked those mistakes up to youth last month at the NFL combine.

Ambrose, who spent three seasons on the Colorado staff before leaving for Cal in January, said he "sure wouldn't" have any reservations about spending a high pick on Smith in April's draft.

"I never had a problem with Jimmy," Ambrose said. "When I said be at meetings, he was there 10 minutes early. That was the thing with Jimmy. Now, his freshman and sophomore year it would have been totally different. But if I said something then he'd adhere to it, and he was vocal with the other guys, he became a leader. A vocal leader."

On Monday, the Web site DraftInsider.net reported that "a number of teams have removed Smith from their draft boards because they were so turned off by his character." Smith, according to the site, "made excuses for and would not take direct responsibility" for his behavior during combine interviews.

Ambrose said he hasn't talked to the Lions about Smith, although he remembered general manager Martin Mayhew attending a Colorado practice last season. The Lions also met with Smith at the combine.

"He's very coachable; he listens," Ambrose said. "He understands; he's not rebellious. He's a great kid. And everybody just wondered, 'Oh, how is he going to do if he gets money?' You never know. I can't answer that. Jimmy's his own person."